Gimpsy was conceived and created with a very clear vision: To make the search experience on the Internet enjoyable. To that end, Gimpsy was designed to be the purest possible Directory web site: There are no banners, no buttons, no elaborate graphics, no pop-ups and no adverts. It is as clean and as concise as a web site can be - without harming the user-friendly interface. The Gimpsy search method is largely based on Natural Language expressions. Although users are now used to a different method (the keyword-based query), Gimpsy's method is so 'natural' that it is picked up almost immediately.

To 'enjoy the search experience' also translates into two measurable targets: Produce accurate search results at the fastest possible time. We believe that we deliver on both counts - but you will be the ultimate judge. Further along the line, Gimpsy will incorporate sites in many languages and from anywhere in the world. It is destined to fulfill its mission statement:

A major decision that had to be taken early was the naming of the site. At first, the site was referred to as 'The Activity Directory', in short - 'Adir'. Obviously, the domain name 'adir.com' was already taken. Using the services of elance.com, some very creative people were hired to invent a domain name for the new site. They came up with many great names, only to find out that most of them were no longer available. Finally, the list of all the suggestions was emailed to all of them and they were asked to vote. Among them was the name 'gimpsy.com', which was registered almost as a joke, as Gimpsy was the name of the hamster pet in MC's family. Surprisingly, the overwhelming response was - That's it! This is the best! It is catchy, friendly, cute, energetic and hard working...

Sadly, the real Gimpsy died a few months later, but his friendly legacy continues to live on this very site.

Gimpsy's software is based mainly on 'Open Source' components. The server Operating System is Linux, the Internet Server is Apache, the database is MySQL and the backend programming language is PHP. Java and Javascript are also used when appropriate. Even the purchased Bulletin Board software, UBBthreads, runs on MySQL and PHP.

The searcher interface is designed to be compatible with the largest possible variety of Internet Browsers.

As part of our commitment to excellence, Gimpsy has a specially designed Customer Relations functionality. To gain access to it you must register first. Any comment or question raised via the internal Customer Relations channel is dealt with promptly and efficiently. If, for any reason, you cannot or are not willing to register, you may use the email address provided below. Please be aware, though, that it may take far longer for us to act upon your email, due to the spamming problem.

All the software development of Gimpsy is done by 'Impact Management Inc.'. The company provided the graphic design, the database design, the backend processing and the front-end interactive functionality.

Other team members are:

Mordechai C.

Project Manager UK

Debby M.

Senior Editor and Personal Assistant, UK

Doru T.

Senior Editor, Romania

Darlene B.

Senior Editor, Canada

Ina W.

Senior Editor, Israel

Kate G.

Senior Editor, USA

Stuart S.

Senior Editor, South Africa

Charles J.

Editor, USA

Erin B.

Editor, USA

Fernando P.

Editor, Romania

Marina N.

Editor, Canada

Nicole W.

Editor, USA

Penelope C.

Editor, USA

From the start, Gimpsy required a team effort, and many people contributed to it. The (almost) full list can be found here.